Originally Posted by
avole
10 years ago? Unfortunately not relevant now. Duterte has changed the country dramatically, and for the worse. There has also been a rise in religious violence, though, to be fair, that has been going on for a while.
I find your advice about camping out in church grounds wrong, and possibly dangerous. You’ll note that directly contradicts what has been said before.
When was the last time you were in the Philippines? I have relatives there and my family goes every year. My brothers went last year. My mother is there now. I'm not a Duterte fan, but nobody in my family has said that they feel any less safe than in years prior.
Regarding the church grounds - like I said, ask the local priest. They will honestly tell you whether or not it is safe there, with more accuracy than some stranger on the Internet. And I'd bet that nine times out of ten they'd help you find a place to stay and get you a tasty meal to boot.